Pennsylvania health care leadership committee action conference #6

April 13, 2007 – 10:00 am to 3:00 pm

Kearns Spirituality Center, La Roche University, Pittsburgh

co-sponsored by: Health Education & Legislative Action Fund of Pa (HELP), Just HealthCare - PUSH, and the sisters of divine providence

Hundreds of leaders of the health care reform movement from all corners of the Commonwealth have attended these action meetings. This is the first time the meeting will be held in western Pennsylvania and you are invited.

10 AM to Noon Open Strategy Session

noon – lunch available $7.50 (please RSVP*)

1 PM to 3:00 PM – “The Great Health Care Debate”

Proponents of the Governor’s private insurance based “Prescription for Pennsylvania” (HB 700) will debate supporters the public health trust single payer based “Family & Business Health Care Security Act” (SB 300).

All agree that something bold must be done. Both proposals are pending in the General Assembly – which of these two competing plans deserves your support?

Two weeks before the first round of voting and FRANCE has 12 candidates

Did you see the photo in the PG that showed pedestrians 12 posters in a row of frames that featured the dozen candidates for President of France.

With nearly two years to go, the US has that many candidates. But, how many will be around with 2-weeks before the election?

Consider local races and the depth of candidates.

I don't dream of ballot clutter. However, I think we should have "NONE OF THE ABOVE" in all races where there is only one candidate. I'd love to see "ALL THE ABOVE" as a built in option in all elections.

Hot scoop, exclusive insights on High School Reform Report

From planning-urban

You heard it here first. The long awaited report on high school reform for Pgh Public Schools is about to be released. A group of hand-picked weenies were locked away for months and months. They slaved at the request of Superintendent Mark Roosevelt. They didn't allow for any leaks -- until now.

They will report to the Pgh Public School Board within hours.

They want the students to learn more. They think it would help if the students were nicer to each other and had an environment where discipline isn't just a four-letter word. Plus, they'd like 'rigor' to become the new drinking word in all academic settings.

From people & vips

Hill hopes: The new arena can revive a community

Hill hopes: The new arena can revive a community The Hill District, potentially one of the most dynamic areas of growth and investment in the city, is fortunate to have committed activists speaking on its behalf on a variety of issues.

The Hill District can be and should be a dynamic place. Its modern-day potential is not realized. There is a long way to go.

However, I feel certain that The Hill District will always be in a state of flux, bad flux at that, when the NHL uses that neighborhood as a venue for the Pgh Penguins.

In my not so humble opinion, the Hill District will flourish and thrive once the Penguins play somewhere else.

Putting 18,000 people into your neighborhood for three periods makes for a lot of checking, a lot of slashing, a lot of bone crushing hits on quality of life issues.

The way to flourish is to buffer the special events by using the existing Mellon Arena as a civic arena. Drop the top decks. Hold more modest events. Squeeze 5,000 into seats there for non NHL events.

Put the Penguins into another area of Allegheny County.

That's the key to turning the Hill District one of America's greatest neighborhoods.

Onorato2007.com has opened AND it ain't all good.

Meanwhile, this blog, http://Rauterkus.blogspot.com, got a score of 65% good. So take that! Blow the trumpets!

Anyone want to blog with me about the 'redd up tour' as Onorato goes to China?

From china - sculp...

Dan Onorato is headed to China. I'm looking for some bloggers and others to help stitch together some content while he travels and nat.

Interested?

I've got a space reserved: http://Allegheny.blogspot.com.

Campaign 2007/City Council: District 3 race presents voters with varied styles

Campaign 2007/City Council: District 3 race presents voters with varied styles: Mr. Koch is counting on his just-get-it-done attitude to win a full four-year term, even if some of his efforts haven't yet come to fruition. Last month, for instance, he got the city to ask for proposals from groups that would reopen the Neville Ice Arena, which has sat empty for five years. But proposals aren't due until after the May 15 primary.

Jeff Koch speaks of the ice rink. Yes.

I don't vote in the D primary. But, if I did, I'd rather vote for a ZERO than a minus eight, according to my score. My range goes from plus 10 to minus 10. Sure, Koch is a zero. But, a zero is about eight points higher than Bruce A. Kraus.

Since Koch got the RFP out of city hall, after taking a year's time to do so, his stock is climbing. He might score a .25 soon.

Do Democrats Own the Internet?

No. Especially not in this town, with your help.

Patrick Ruffini :: Do Democrats Own the Internet? Following the Q1 money reports, bloggers and the pundits are all atwitter about Democrat online fundraising numbers. My friend Robert Bluey pens a column rounding up the story in Townhall. Other places with good thoughts on this debate are Kung Fu Quip (authored by ex-RNC Internet director Mike Turk), David All and the Bivings Report.

I have my own perspective on this issue, having led the RNC’s Internet operations in 2006 and now serving as an outside advisor to one of the GOP campaigns (Rudy Giuliani). And as someone who monitors trends on this daily (in my post last Sunday, I actually expected Obama’s Internet number to be higher), I think much of the commentary on this is missing the point.

Dems around her do NOT embrace open systems. I do.

But the article's author and I agree about the merit of comments being only a few short strokes away from a windfall of cash donations.

In their world, at this time, most of the talk is driven by money. Money, money, money.

In Pittsburgh, the talk and buzz does NOT need to be driven by money. Issues, trust, knowledge, solutions, relationships and deeds can count for 70-percent of the buzz. Money, machine, and media account for the rest.

The value of an open system approach on the internet is to build 'value' that won't show on the fiscal balance sheet.

Another article, same message.

Survey Gives Good Reviews to Online Product Reviews: "marketers should take away from the survey is that the brands that exploit the two-way communication potential of Web 2.0 will gain an edge over competitors. 'You want to find a way to engage with the community in a dialogue,' said Murray."

Federal Reseve Monopoly over Money. Ron Paul's latest newsletter hits home run for opening day discussions

The Federal Reseve Monopoly over Money Few Americans give much thought to the Federal Reserve System or monetary policy in general. But even as they strive to earn a living, and hopefully save or invest for the future, Congress and the Federal Reserve Bank are working insidiously against them. Day by day, every dollar you have is being devalued.

There is no 'inside baseball' in Ron Paul's statements. But, he does talk a good game of inside politics and inside economics.

Check out the article on his site, or in the comments.

18-seconds of video that is still giving fits to Pgh's Planning Board and now its Legal Department

Here

We are still waiting for an official policy from on the use of video cameras and recording devices for city planning meetings. Now the legal department is making sure the pending, unreleased policy is valid.

Oh my gosh.

Kiski Area needs a swim coach

Kiski Area is accepting applications for the position of Head Varsity Swimming and Diving Coach. Interested applicants should send a letter of interest, resume, three letters of recommendation, and clearances to: Ryan Berberich - Athletic Director, Kiski Area High School, 200 Poplar Street, Vandergrift, PA 15690 Deadline: April 16, 2007

Lou Dobbs interviews Ron Paul tonight

Congressman Ron Paul will be interviewed on CNN's Lou Dobbs program tonight between 5:30 - 6:00 pm CT.

This Wednesday, Congressman Paul will make his first campaign trip to Iowa. Here is the schedule of public events as posted by the Republican Party of Iowa.

Public comment to City Council, April 7, 2007. Handing voter registration form to Bill Peduto

On Wed, April 4, 2007, I spoke to both city council in the morning and county council in the evening.

I'll move these posts in the days to come, to the day that they were delivered. But, this one just got uploaded.

If the image or file does not play, hang tight. It will. It takes YouTube some time from the upload before the link becomes active.

Judges make a smack down of ballot access. On to the US Supreme Court

Ken K, past candidate for PA Governor and a leader in the ballot access movement wrote with some bad news:

I just received word today that the 3rd circuit federal appeals court has denied our request for an en banc rehearing of our ballot access case to have the 67,000-signature requirement ruled unconstitutional. (Background and other info regarding the ballot access lawsuit can be found at
www.paballotaccess.org/news.html.)

Our only recourse now is to appeal to the US Supreme court, which (of course) we are doing. We have 90 days to file the appeal, and extensions are routinely granted, I'm told.

So the courts have struck yet another blow for tyranny and against the plain meaning of the Constitution. No surprise. Another reason to vote Libertarian -- as if we needed any more!

Health Care takes center stage tonight in a debate

PA Gov. Ed Rendell has said that he'd sign the universal, single-payer "Family and Business Healthcare Act" once it passes the House and Senate. He agrees that that legislation is superior to his own set of health care bills.

To date, the story has not been told by the MSM. So far, SB 300 (the superior, citizen driven bill) has been ignored while the Governor's legislation, HB 700, has received the lion's share of attention. The two approaches are NOT similar. The two bills would have different impacts on PA.

At 9 pm on MONDAY, APRIL 9, 2007, PA Health Care, and a TV show, Progressives for Pennsylvania (host) are to stage a conversation with Gov. Ed Rendell (Prescription for Pennsylvania) and a leader of HELP Fund PA's Chuck Pennacchio (Family and Business Healthcare Security Act). Tune in to: http://www.pcntv.com/

More insights at http://www.helpfundpa.org.

Advance coverage.

Presently, a dozen states are considering universal, single-payer healthcare. Pennsylvania presents the greatest confluence of factors favoring passage: demographics, economics, and politics. There are 31 co-sponsors in the PA House and PA Senate among both Democrat and Republican.

Zen and the art of Nonprofit Technology: How do we do make change if we keep doing things the same way?

Zen and the art of Nonprofit Technology: How do we do make change if we keep doing things the same way? In other words, don't make a copies for a workshop, or for a colleague who isn't inside your organization, and definitely don't make a copy for your mother to read.

But it's a journal about technology and social change! This goes back to my constant refrain - the means are the ends. How can we talk about technology in social change, while, at the same time, publishing in a format that limits the availability of this knowledge to people privileged enough to pay for it? How can we talk about promoting change when we're not pushing this content into the commons?

The Public Library of Science is a wonderful example of a reputable, respected peer-reviewed journal where articles are freely available to the public. They say:

Published research results and ideas are the foundation for future progress in science and medicine. Open Access publishing therefore leads to wider dissemination of information and increased efficiency in science ...

President of Pgh FOP talks against paying $85 to police commander

Chicago awaiting decision on 2016 Olympics

From family - travels

I love Chicago. Because of that love, I'm not sure I want the Olympic Games to land there. I coached state record breakers in Illinois. I coached a girl who was named the best athlete of the Prarie State Games as well. Chicago is a city with broad shoulders.

Most of all, for me, Chicago is where I fell in love -- with my wife.

Stir the soul. But don't drip or spill down the drain.

SI.com - More Sports - Chicago awaiting decision on 2016 Olympics - Sunday April 8, 2007 8:32PM Architect Daniel Burnham planned the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, and famously reminded Chicagoans: 'Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood.' His words are now part of the city's Olympic slogan: 'Chicago 2016, Stir The Soul.'

If Chicago does get the games, athletes and spectators will walk in the footsteps of fairgoers. The games would be centered on the downtown lakefront and the South Side at some of the same spots used in the 1893 exposition and the 1933-34 Century of Progress.

From Mark Rauterkus

Mayor Luke doesn't play well with voters his own age - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Mayor Luke doesn't play well with voters his own age - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review The Pennsylvania League of Young Voters is upset that Ravenstahl has decided not to attend an April 16 youth forum the 27-year-old pol previously said he would attend. Coincidentally, the withdrawal came after Ravenstahl's only opponent in the May primary, Councilman Bill Peduto, quit the contest.

The real question is how will the League of Young Voters play with Libertarians?

I've asked. I've waited. Time will tell.

The leadership of the League of Young Voters to go to idle or put efforts into overdrive.

People often like to play fast and hard when the sandbox is in their comfort zone. Otherwise, when the characters are not from their ranks, little happens.

Slovenian man ends 65-day swim down Amazon - Saturday April 7, 2007 3:47PM

Get out!

SI.com - More Sports - Slovenian man ends 65-day swim down Amazon - Saturday April 7, 2007 3:47PM After 3,272 miles of exhaustion, sunburn, delirium and piranhas, a 52-year-old Slovenian successfully completed a swim down the Amazon River Saturday that could set a world record for distance -- something he's already done three times before.

After nine weeks, Martin Strel arrived near the city of Belem, the capital of the jungle state of Para, ending a swim almost as long as the drive from Miami to Seattle. Strel averaged about 50 miles a day since beginning his odyssey at the source of the world's second-longest river in Peru on Feb. 1.

And we worry about swimming in the three rivers.